Improved apparatus for desiccating eggs



(J. A. LAMONT. APPARATUS FOR DESIOGATING EGGS.

N0. 50,421. Patented Got. 10, 1865.

D00 6,77, 0f Mm QA A. OJ NV 7 UNITED STATES ATENT ()FFICE.

CHAS. A. LAMONT, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND DAVID A. BURR, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DESICCATING EGGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,-'2l, dated October 10, 1865.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. LAMONT, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful ApparatustorDesiccatingEggs; andIdohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section through my said apparatus in the line as m of Fig. 2, and

Fig; 2 a similar section in the liney y ofFig. 1. Similar letters indicate like parts in each of the figures.

Heretofore the desiccation of eggs has been effected by exposing the substance thereof in shallow pans to currents of heated air; but with this process it has been found almost impossible to cure the eggs properly and retain their natural flavor and quality untaiuted, because of the difficulty of obtaining an even thickness or depth of the eggy matter in the pans and of drying the same uniformly and in thin and even layers. Attempts have been made to improve upon this system of using stationary g pans by dipping thin plates into the egg and 1 then placing them in a revolvingframe to dry. i

This plan ,although prom isin g more satisfactory results, was found impracticable, not only because of the labor and trouble required to first dip the plates and then transfer them to the frame-work made to receive them, but also because it was found impossible to dip and transfer a number'of plates quickly enough to retain a suflicient coating of egg thereon. By my invention, however, I have perfected an apparatus which will rapidly and completely desiccate the eggs without liability to any of the objections heretofore encountered.

The nature of my invention consists in ar ranging the drying-plates upon a central revolving shaft with their edges projecting radially therefrom, and so combining therewith a supplying or dipping trough as that they may be clipped therein when in revolution; and i revolve with suitable velocity by means'of pulleys E, Fig. 2, upon'their outer ends, which are connected by bandswith a driving-shaft. A series of thin circular metallic plates, 8 s s s s, of a diameter which may properly be about two thirds greater than that of the shaft, are arranged and secured at narrow but regular intervals alongthe entire length of each of the shafts l) D,as seen in Fig. 2. Midway between each set of the plates upon these shafts D D,

and parallel thereto, is placed a rod or rockershaft, F, upon' which are secured a series of fingers or scraping-blades, c c c 0, each equal in width to the intervals between the circular plates s s as 8 upon the shafts D D, so that they may enter and fit accurately between the said plates, and of such a length as to reach the centerof theshafts on eit her side. This scraperrod 1* terminates ontwardlyin a crank, G, (seen in Fig. 2,) where the fingersocccmay be thrown over from the one shaft, D, to the other sh aft, D, or vice versa, at pleasure. I tis also so arranged in its bearings as to have-a slight longitudinal play, whereby the edges of the scraping-blades may be severally brought to bear against either face of each of the circular drying-plates as s s .to remove thoroughly and-effectually the accretions thereon. The position of this rocker-shaft F may bechanged by placing it higherand near the roof of the chamber A, provided its scrap ing-blades are made long enough to extend to the center of the drying-plates s s s s. In this case the shafts .D D may be brought nearer I stance of the eggs to be desiccated. This trough or vat is of a semicircular section, as seen in .Fig. 1, of a diameter somewhat greater than that of the circular drying-plates, and is furnished with suitable wheels, K K, at either end thereof, so as to run freely in ways 19 1) provided therefor on either side of the chamber, as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings. These wayspp are suspended at each end by means of cords r r passing over pulleys arranged upon shafts on the top of the apparatus. The ends of the rear cords are brought forward and secured with the ends of the front cords to the perimeter of the front pulleys, as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the revolution of the front pulleys, M M, in the direction indicated by the arrow in the drawings will first slightly elevate the rear ends of the wayspp before commencing to elevate the front ends also; and their revolution in the opposite direction will incline these ways from front to rear before acting evenly on both ends to draw them up together. By continuing to turn the shaftand pulleys M M in either direction, the ways, being first inclined, will be drawn up so as to bring the trough up under one of the drying-shafts D D until the plates 8 s s s thereon become partially immersed and by their revolution wholly dipped in its contents. So soon as the plates are thus dipped trough or vat is let down and run forward or backward to the next series of plates. A tongue is formed upon the inner side of the -ends of each of the suspended ways 1 1, which,

titling loosely in a vertical groove-or slot cut to receive it in the side of the chamber, prevents a swi'ngingmotion of the way;

They-at ll may be arrested in the required central position immediately beneath each drying-shaft D D aud its plates 3 s s by means of anysuitable system ofspring-catches arranged in the sides of the chamber.

When the apparatus is ready foruse and the chamber properly heated, the drying-plates s s as are put into revolution by connecting their shafts D Dwith the driving-power, and the vat H, filled with the substance ofthe eggs to be desiccated, is placed under the first series of drying-plates and quickly elevated by turning the pulley-shaft and pulleys MMand winding up thereon the cords by which the ways 1 r sustaining the vat;- are suspended. These plates 5- s s, dipping in the egg, will in one or two revolutions be coated therewith. The vat is now let down again, and the spring-catch,

which here held it, being released, it will run down the inclined way until'arrested by the next catch under the next series of dryingplates, where it is again to be elevated for the purpose of dipping them, as in the first instance. Thus each series of. plates are successively dipped and left to dry. When the Vat H has thus run down to the rear end of the chamher, a reverse movement of the pulleys M M in the direction indicated by the arrow inFig. 1 will serve to elevate the rear ends of the ways sufticien'tly to incline them in the opposite direction, so that whenever released the vat H will run back toward the front. In the meantime the e'ggy substance, so soon as .it dries upon the plates 8 s 8, may be immediately removed therefrom by the scrapingblades c c c, (which are thrown over from one series of drying-plates to the other by the crank G, Fig. 2,) and will fall in its desiccated condition upon the movable plate B,t'orming the bottom of the chamber.

I contemplate any suitable means of adjusting the ways r 1', upon which the vat H is supported in my desiccating apparatus, not limiting myself to the use of cords and pulleys alone.

My improved apparatus may be used equally well for desiccatin g the albumen or the yolk of eggs separately as well as together, and for other substances than eggs.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The within-described mode of desiccating eggs by the use, in combination with a dipping trough or vat, H, of one or more drying-plates, as, secured upon a central revolving shaft, 1), substantially in the manner herein set forth.

2. The use of one or more scraping-blades, c c, in combination with the revolving plates of an eg -desiccating apparatus, substantially as and for thepurpose herein set forth.

3. bupportingthemovablesupplying-trough H of my improved cgg-desiccating apparatus upon adjustable ways r1", so arranged as to opcrate substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

, CHAS. A. LAMONT.

Witnesses:

DAVID A. BURR, LOUIS R. MCLAIN. 

